


Ghost of You

by orphan_account



Category: Julie and the Phantoms, jatp - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Rose and Ray deserve better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27614543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A short story about Ray Molina as he grieves the loss of his wife.
Relationships: Mentioned Luke/Julie, Ray Molina/Rose Molina, Rose Molina/Ray Molina
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Ghost of You

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics to the song Ghost of You by 5sos
> 
> Please send kudos, comment, and check out my other stories

Here I am waking up Still can't sleep on your side There's your coffee cup The lipstick stain fades with time If I can dream long enough You'd tell me I'd be just fine

Ray Molina rolled over in his half asleep, half awake consciousness. Without thinking, he moved his arm forward. Instead of meeting something, or rather, someone, his arm fell onto the mattress. That woke him up. He stared at the still unfamiliar empty space, forcing himself to sit up. Counting to three, he pushed himself out of bed, not wanting to think too much about anything. 

He walked down the stairs, moving towards the kitchen. Cooking would give him something to do. He opened the top cabinet, reaching for his coffee mug. Out of habit, he grabbed two. He shook his head, slowly turning his wife's mug in his hands. There was still a soft, light red lipstick stain on the inside of the cup, and Ray brushed his thumb against the handle. He set it back where it belonged, pouring his own cup and trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach. 

He knows his wife would be proud of him. It had been over a year since she'd passed away. He hoped that she was watching him, cheering him on for every little thing he got right. For every accomplishment.

He was so proud of his kids. They had both given recovering their all, and while there were still days full of grief and the overwhelming feeling of loss, they were growing. Julie especially, who had found her music once again. 

He knew Rose would think he was doing just fine on his own, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

So I drown it out like I always do  
Dancing through our house  
With the ghost of you

Even though Rose was gone, there was always a part of her in everything they did. 

One day, Ray was cleaning out a few of the drawers in the living room. He pulled one out, revealing his wife's record collection. He gently dragged his hand across one of the covers. He recognized this one immediately. It had been the first song they had danced to at their wedding. He gently placed it on his record player, sitting down and closing his eyes tightly as the music played, filling the silence.

For one short moment, he let himself pretend. He imagined that he was dancing with Rose, her smile lighting up the room, just as it always did. He imagined that nothing had ever changed. 

He imagined her catching him as he stumbled, her softly humming the beautiful song, or quietly counting their steps. It almost felt real.

Cleaning up today Found that old Zepplin shirt You wore when you ran away And no one could feel your hurt

Opening his closet door, Ray fumbled around, looking for a sweater. Feeling around, he felt a fabric that jogged a memory. Pulling it out, he bunched the cloth in his hands. 

Rose's favorite Zepplin shirt. He tucked his face into it, backing up onto his bed. He slowly began to cry, smoothing the creases in the fabric out with his hands. He remembered opening his college dorm room door, seeing Rose standing there, wearing the shirt and crying. He grabbed her hand, leading her to the couch behind him. She explained that she and her parents had gotten into an argument, and that they had agreed that she shouldn't live there any longer now that she was an adult. 

Ray hadn't hesitated to allow her to stay with him. 

We're too young, too dumb To know things like love But I know better now 

Ray saw so much of himself and his wife in his daughter and Luke. He remembered how much it had hurt when nobody believed that they could be truly in love at such a young age. He wondered why nobody could understand that they weren't temporary. They had built their relationship on trust, communication, music, and love.

When Ray had asked Rose's parents for permission to ask her to marry him, they had practically laughed in his face, telling him that it would never last. They were too young and too dumb. They hadn't even graduated college yet. How could they get married? 

They did it anyway, and they both agreed that it was the best decision of their life. 

It had taken him too long to realize that nothing could last forever. 

So I drown it out like I always do Dancing through our house With the ghost of you And I chase it down With a shot of truth

A part of Ray was missing. Rose Molina was his other half. His better half, and he tried his hardest to keep her memory alive.

He heard her in his daughter's music.

He saw her in his son's laugh and smile. 

He felt her as he went about his day. 

He listened to her through the obvious signs she sent. 

He loved her. 

He walked through the house, the sunlight pouring through the windows, hitting the plants she had left behind. It was quiet, and calming. He remembered how lively everything was when his wife was around. How she could make even the most boring of tasks exciting. How she was so enthusiastic about the smallest of tasks. He began to hum a familiar song. 

That my feet don't dance Like they did with you

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this ones so short. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!


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